Democrats hold town hall meetings on Obama health care overhaul

Democrats are continuing a nationwide effort to drum up support for the Obama administration’s health care proposals through a series of town hall meetings being held nationwide. The plans for an overhaul of the system, now working their way through congress, focus overwhelmingly on cutting costs for businesses and the government.

The savings will come from reducing quality of care for those on government programs such as Medicare and Medicaid, while defending the profits of the insurance industry, pharmaceutical companies, and for-profit hospitals. The plans also include a patient mandate, requiring every individual to obtain coverage or pay a penalty. Fines for businesses that fail to offer their employees coverage will be minimal.